Reducing Vulnerability to Emotions We use DBT* with some of our eating disorder clients to help them better regulate their emotions. We teach the acronym P.L.E.A.S.E. to help them remember certain guidelines for reducing their vulnerability to negative emotions. We...
So what triggers binge eating? Trigger 1: Getting ravenous When we’re overly hungry and finally gain access to food, it’s natural to eat faster, more quantity and with less awareness and control than we’d like. For someone with a binge-eating problem, being...
Surviving a Crisis What is a crisis? A crisis is when you are in a highly stressful short-term situation and feel a sense of urgency to FIX IT NOW, but can’t make it better right away. In times like these, the intensity of your distress can impact your ability to...
Binge Eating Disorder (BED) was formally acknowledged as an eating disorder in 2013 (finally!). It is characterized by frequent episodes of consuming large amounts of food, at a fast pace, past the point of physical comfort and usually within a 2-hour period. A binge...
Our culture encourages us to think about our weight as a number that we can determine ourselves; that is, if we have enough “self control” and eat “right” we can reach our aesthetic ideal. The truth, however, is that our weight is determined by numerous factors, most...
The evidence-based treatment of choice for children and adolescents with eating disorders is Family Based Treatment (FBT). Research studies have consistently shown FBT to be the best treatment for children and adolescents with anorexia. An emerging body of evidence...
In diagnosing and treating eating disorders, we need to make sure to remain aware of how our Western culture can influence the way we think. I’ve been reading “Crazy Like Us: The Globalization of the American Psyche,” by Ethan Watters, which highlights how the...